In Forest Grove, expecting more from local government

By Jonathan Kipp of Forest Grove, Oregon. Jonathan says he's "increasingly involved in the Forest Grove and Washington County political scene with growing political ambition and a vision for change to keep this town thriving while retaining its 'Mayberry charm'".

If you did not know it already, you needn’t step out of your living room to see a Forest Grove City Council meeting. The videos are online. And I’ve been tuning in. True, the experience can be like watching paint dry, but reviewing the meetings has been informative.

Forest Grove’s City Council is well-meaning, despite what some say about personal agendas and their grab for free Cadillac-health insurance that comes with the job. But the council loses credibility with me when they spend time debating and deliberating, sometimes to ad nauseam, about relatively unimportant issues, particularly in the midst of such difficult times for so many.

One November meeting that I recently reviewed featured hours of discussion about sidewalk signs and the use of the public right of way. Some councilors objected to bolting newspaper boxes to city sidewalks. One councilor questioned why the city feels obligated to allow newspaper boxes on sidewalks at all. Another councilor wanted to know if the city could address the loud noise that the newspaper boxes make when customers let go of the handle. And he was serious as a heart attack.

I expect better. I expect leadership.

The council does, of course, take on more substantial issues. The topic of growth and urban and rural reserves has consumed much of their time of late. What I gather is the city council wants growth, increased urban reserves, new neighborhoods, more people moving to Forest Grove, more transportation options, more industry --- more of everything, really.

Nothing wrong with that except that I’ve not talked to one resident of Forest Grove who wants more of any of these things. I’ve never met a person who wants to have more farmland covered in cement. I’ve never met a person who is waiting for the next medium-sized multi-national manufacturing company to set up shop here so they can go to work. That is, until the company consolidates and shuts its doors. Most of us commute to our jobs; 70 percent commute to work alone in our cars. We signed up for that when we moved here. We are okay with it. It’s necessary to do what we need to do when we need to do it.

I hear folks clamoring for more restaurants and retail shops. I know I’d like to eat a good steak without big televisions surrounding me. I hear a desire for a place to buy a shirt for a Father’s Day present or a spot with a fresh bagel. I often wish Baskin-Robbins was around the corner.

The council has spent a lot of time advocating for a MAX line to Forest Grove. In fact it has been such a big issue for former Mayor Richard Kidd that he resigned his post to pursue this 6.1 mile $762 million endeavor as a county commissioner. The Oregonian reported that current Mayor Pete Truax, then a newly re-elected councilor in 2008, said his biggest priority was extending passenger rail service from Hillsboro to Forest Grove.

Not bad goals. But I’ve yet to hear anyone who lives here say they want to, are willing to, or are able to ride MAX and then hop a bus to their job in Progress. I know I won’t be spending the required two hours on buses, trains and trolleys to get to work in Northwest Portland. I’ve never met anyone who drives to Hillsboro and then rides MAX to Portland for date night at the symphony or to catch a Blazer game. I’ve never met anyone who consistently takes a bus and then MAX to PDX to catch a flight. Would you take MAX to the Hillsboro Farmer’s Market to buy a couple of crates of strawberries on a Saturday morning? Me neither.

Our mayor’s biggest priority? Really?

I support having new restrictions on signs, allowing backyard hens, library fines, transit alternatives and even the big ole’ American flag that got people so riled up. But I want a city council that is connected to the people and pursuing an agenda that puts the citizens needs first. I want our leaders to represent us.

We, the people of Forest Grove, can deal with loud newspaper box doors for now.